Clay-pulverizer



(NoModelJl L. D. FERGUSON.

VGLAY PULVERiZER.

No. 293,061. Patented Feb. 5, 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTOR W W 311mg ATTORNEYS,

* UNITED STATES PATENT @rr on.

LORENZO D. FERGUSON, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

CLAY-PULVERIZER,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,001, dated February 5, 1884.

' Application filed November 16, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LORENZO "D. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pulverizers, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to that class of pulverizers used for refining clay to prepare it for making into bricks and other articles. Clay, when taken from the earth apparently dry,will form into cakes or sheets when pressed or rolled, so that two rollers running nearly in contact with each other at the same speed will run the clay through in sheets more or less broken, but not so thoroughly pulverized as it should be for making fine ware or even for bricks.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical machine for thoroughly pulverizing clay.

To this end my invention consists in the combination, in a pulverizing machine, of plain rollers and toothed cylinders running at different speeds, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a side elevation of a pulverizer showing my invention, portions of the casing being broken away to show the interior.

A represents the frame of the machine; B, the floor on which the coarse clay is received, and from which said clay is scraped or shoveled by an attendant into the hopper O, which guides and holds it in contact with the rollers D and E. These rollers are revolved by power in the direction to draw the clay in between them, as shown by the arrows, but at different rates of speed. Roller E may run at two hundred revolutions a minute, or thereabout, while roller D runs only at one hundred and sixty. This causes a grinding as well as a crushing effect, because the particles in each lump of clay are given a rolling action among themselves 5 yet some portions of the clay will adhere together after the clay is well crushed. To reduce these portions I provide rapidlyrevolving toothed drums F and G below the rollers, to receive the clay dropped therefrom. These drums also run in the direction to draw in the clay between them; but, being close together, the clay will accumulate in the angle above and between them, and will be carried down in a comminuted form by the teeth a. The drum F may run at nine hundred and sixty-six revolutions a minute, and the drum G at fourteen hundred, or thereabout. In cases where greater fineness is required in the clay than is produced by one pair of rollers and one pair of toothed drums, I provide another toothed drum, H, below drum G, to 00- act therewith, yet not vertically beneath said drum G, but beneath thespace between drums F and G, in order that the clay dropped from between said drums may be struck by the rapidly-revolving teeth of the last drum and driven between it and drum G. This drum may run at fourteen hundred revolutions a minute, or faster. This varied treatment of the clay hasthe tendency to thoroughly mix it, as well as to pulverize it, which is a main object in grinding or pulverizing clay. A hopper within the machine below the lower drum gathers the pulverized clay and delivers it by a spout, J, directly to a machine for making brick, tiles, drain-pipes, 850., or to a revolving apron or other carrier for transportition to the place where it is to be wet and used.

It is not thought necessary to show said machines for making up the clay or said carriers, as they form no part of this invention.

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a pair of rollers and means for revolving the same at different rates of speed, and a hopper for holding clay on said rollers, of a pair of toothed drums beneath said rollers, and means for rotating said drums at different rates of speed, as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a hopper for receiving clay, a pair of rollers therein and means for revolving the same at different rates of speed, a pair of toothed drums beneath said rollers and means for revolving said drums at different rates of speed, and a third drum beneath the space between the first-named drums, and means for rotating the latter drum, all sub stantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

LORENZO D. FERGUSON. Witnesses:

B. S. RHEA, S. T. HILL. 

